Super-charged foiling cats to be tested in Northland

Northland is the testing ground for these new supercharged catamarans which are capable of zipping across the tops of waves at 53 knots - 98km. Photo/ Supplied

Northland's world-class marine industry has been given a boost with some of the most advanced foiling catamarans in the world to be tested in waters off Bream Bay.

Those involved in the developing the super-charged catamarans, which are capable of zipping across the tops of waves at 53 knots (98kmh) say the testing phase based in Northland could become an annual occurrence.

Kiwi Russell Coutts and American software tycoon Larry Ellison announced their SailGP global racing league overnight on Wednesday and that their new-class wingsailed F50 catamarans would go though sea trials off Ruakākā starting this month. Warkworth-based Core Builders Composites has established a technical and development hub on a hardstand compound at Marsden Cove Marina as part of its work to build the catamarans which are to be used in the global SailGP competitive yachting series in Sydney next year.

The hub at Marsden Cove Hardstand Yard, Marsden Point. Photo/ Michael Cunningham

Over the next three months SailGP will take advantage of local resources and experts to conduct testing and ensure the F50s are race-ready by February.

The hub was nearly complete with two tents, sized 20m x 25m, erected above custom-built 40-foot containers.

Core Builders Composites spokesman Peter Heath said carpet had been laid, lighting was operational and the place was already buzzing. There was an office, as well, and a catering truck and tent.

"The entire operation has been designed to be packed into and unpacked from the containers so that it can be easily picked up and transported from one competition venue to another," Heath said.

He said it was not a one-off.

"Every year at about this time they will be back testing the boats. The boats will be modified and updated as the competition develops so they will back for testing."

There are 50 people in the tech team, with about 25 to be on site at any given time.

The announcement has created a wave of excitement from local leaders and those involved in the marine industry.

Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai said the biggest things were the international exposure and the boost to the economy.

"We'll be a mecca for sailors, and it puts our waters on the map."

Northport chief executive John Moore was delighted to facilitate the role Northland would play in the new event on the global competitive sailing calendar.

Kerikeri America's Cup winner and Olympic gold medallist Blair Tuke said it would mean a lot of spinoffs for Northland.

He said while Core Builders Composites were leading the work, he was sure they would look to involve Northlanders where they could.

The six catamarans have been under construction for the past 12 months by teams from Core Builders Composites, MS Engineering, Pure Design, C-Tech, Doyle Sails, Baytex and Rayglass.

Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts on BMW Oracle. Photo/ File

The catamarans will be trucked to Ruakākā from Warkworth in their custom containers. The first F50 will be launched using Northport's 100-ton mobile harbour crane, which will lower the boats and wings to a special pontoon and mooring area the port has set aside for the purpose.

Heath said it would be a case of testing one boat at a time. As the second boat being tested on the water, the first boat was being disassembled and placed back in its container.

The sea trials were focused on testing and safety, aimed at validating the leading-edge systems of the boats and allowing each of SailGP's six teams – Australia, China, France, Japan and the United States – to become familiar with the F50s' highly advanced technology.

While the testing was being conducted SailGP has rented out the entire Ruakaka Beach Motel for three months and most of the rooms at One Tree Point Motel.

"This represents huge value to these and other businesses in the area, particularly in what is usually a relatively slow shoulder season," Heath said.

When the international sailing teams came to trial their boats, SailGP had rented houses and booked hotel rooms in Whangarei.

"Northland offers easy access to a highly skilled and specialised marine services sector which will allow us to perform the shake-down sails and validate the yachts' upgraded systems and technology," said Brad Marsh, SailGP tech team operations manager.

"We look forward to integrating the sailors into local communities and ensuring they experience everything Northland has to offer."

Coutts, who said it was not set up as a rival competition to the America's Cup, launched what he hopes is a commercially sustainable sailing league in London on Wednesday.

Coutts, 56, won the America's Cup five times from 1995-2013. He sailed undefeated through three straight matches, the first two as skipper for Team New Zealand and the third time as skipper of Alinghi of Switzerland. After sitting out the 2007 America's Cup, he became the non-sailing CEO of Ellison's Oracle Team USA, which won the Auld Mug in 2010 and defended it in 2013 before losing it to Emirates Team New Zealand in 2017.

Teams from the United States, Australia, Great Britain, France, Japan and China will compete starting in 2019.

The series begins Feb. 15-16 in Sydney, Australia, followed by regattas in San Francisco on May 4-5; New York on June 21-22; Cowes, England, on Aug. 10-11; and the finale in Marseille, France, on Sept. 20-22 that will include a winner-take-all $1 million match race.
Oceania Marina's client liaison and marketing manager Jim Loynes said the announcement can only be good for Whangārei and raising awareness of what it offers.

"While we are not specifically involved with the event at this stage, we work continuously promoting Whangārei locally and internationally and anything that provides further exposure for the marine industry here in Whangārei and what we have to offer can only be good, we wish them all the best with the project."

Coutts attempted to steer the America's Cup toward being commercially sustainable but that quest ended when Oracle Team USA was routed by New Zealand, which has decided to ditch catamarans in favour of a high-performance, foiling multihull.

The next America's Cup won't be until 2021. By then, there will have been two seasons of SailGP.

The America's Cup turned into a playground for billionaires — including Ellison — although the cash-strapped Kiwis bucked that trend when they hit on a brilliant boat design that carried them to a stunning upset last year. Fewer teams competed in last two editions of sailing's marquee regatta due to staggering costs.

It's roughly estimated that Ellison spent US$750 million during five America's Cup campaigns.